ARCADIA – Here’s a trivia question that might win you a drink or two at your favorite watering hole.

How many Grade 1 victories has jockey Joel Rosario racked up during his young career?

Two? Three? Five?

How about none?

That’s right, the jockey who won riding titles at Hollywood Park and Del Mar this past summer and is seventh in North America in purse earnings, is still looking for his first Grade 1 victory.

Better have a designated driver with you if you’re going to pull that quiz on your friends anytime soon.

“He’s a local phenomenon, but certainly not yet a national phenomenon, and that’s actually something that was a game plan and philosophy we discussed when I first got him,” said Vic Stauffer, Rosario’s agent. “We decided to stay here in Southern California, and we’ve turned down some opportunities to travel to other places for some bigger races, which we will do in the years to come.

“But for this first year, we decided to just stay here so the horsemen always knew they could get us and they wouldn’t have to worry about us hop-scotching around the country like some of the bigger guys do. In retrospect, I think it was a very smart thing for us to do.”

Rosario snapped Rafael Bejarano’s streak of six consecutive SoCal titles when he won at Hollywood Park, and he cruised to the title at Del Mar after Bejarano was seriously injured in an opening-day spill and missed much of the meet.

The 24-year-old Dominican Republic native is tied with Bejarano 27-27 in the Oak Tree standings, and they lead two-time Eclipse Award winner Garrett Gomez by one victory with three days to go, including today’s and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup XXVI at Santa Anita.

“We are very aware of the fact that at the Hollywood meet, both (Bejarano) and Gomez sort of followed the Derby trail and the Preakness trail, and that helped us quite a bit,” Stauffer said. “And then certainly at Del Mar when Bejarano got hurt, that was not the way we wanted to win. So we understand that the two titles, although very magnificent accomplishments, that we were very fortunate as well.

“But we now know that we can compete for titles with the other two big guys, and that’s extremely important. To be able to beat them at this meet, a marquee meet like this, would be more gratifying than Hollywood or Del Mar.”

Rosario, who blanked with his first four Breeders’ Cup mounts a year ago, has three chances today and four Saturday to impress not only a national audience, but an international one as well.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” said Rosario, who missed three days last weekend because of the flu. “It’s the one that all the jockeys want to win, one big race like the Breeders’ Cup and the Kentucky Derby. So I’m excited.

“I got seven, and a couple have good chances, so let’s see what happens.”

Stauffer said Rosario had the same flu bug he had a couple of weeks earlier, and it could have been disastrous if he’d come down with it this weekend instead of last.

“That would have been an absolute disaster,” Stauffer said. “I mean, you can cowboy up and be a professional athlete. (Michael) Jordan used to play with the flu, but he (Rosario) couldn’t have ridden. No way.”

“That’s why I took three or four days off, I needed it,” Rosario said. “So I’m feeling 100 percent now and I’m glad I’m back again. We’re working hard and we’ll see what happens this week.”

No matter what happens this weekend, Stauffer predicts great things for his rider, who has already established himself as one of the best finishers on the circuit.

“This kid actually has a chance to be one of the all-time greats, and I think frankly Bugs Bunny could be his agent,” Stauffer said. “But what I can bring to the table is the difference between him being good, or very good, or truly one of the greats. I think I can make the difference on that level.

“He’s going to win thousands of races and make millions of dollars regardless of who his agent is. I think I can use some of my philosophies and all of that and instill some of my work ethic in him that can allow him to really totally maximize his potential. And that to me is the most intoxicating part about it.”